on the record.

Creating your own catalogue raisonné — and keeping it current — is important for your artistic legacy and provides guardrails against fakers and forgeries.

i maintain a database of my work to ensure my collectors’ investments are safe for their futures. You should, too.

What is a catalogue raisonné anyway?

A catalogue raisonné (French for “reasoned catalogue”) is a fancy term for a record of an artist’s work throughout their lifetime.

The records can be as simple as an image of the work and the title and date, or extra detailed — including the work’s medium, size and measurements, date of the history, exhibitions it has been included in, history of ownership, condition of the piece, where it is currently located, a list of reproductions, and/or a some kind of registry number.

It stands to reason that the more detailed and complete your records can be, the harder it is for future forgers to pass off their handiwork as your own art — something any collector would greatly appreciate.

How are they created?

In the past, a catalogue raisonné would either be compiled by artists themselves, or — more often, by family members and/or specialized scholars.

They have traditionally been compiled into a physical book that can be dispersed among the art world, but now that we have computers and the Internet, some are maintained solely online, including those of Paul César Helleu and Roy Lichtenstein.

However you choose to organize your records, i highly advise that you do it.

How do you keep track of your artwork?

Because i am still young in my art career, i have opted to maintain a digital database of my own work.

There are many digital database options out there, which offer various forms and platforms with with to organize and catalogue your work.

Popular ones include DropBox, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, and Airtable.

i have found Airtable to be the easiest and most artist-friendly of the database options, so that is what i use. But remember, it’s more important that it makes sense to you.

How i use Airtable.

my Airtable database is divided into sections, with a data table within each section. Right now, my sections include drawings, paintings, photography, and prints.

In each section, i include the following information for each piece:

Registration Number — an alpha-numeric code that reveals info about the piece
Common Name — what the piece is generally called
A Photo of the Piece
Date of Creation
Checkbox for Commission or Non-Commission
Current Value of the Work
Tags — usually collection names
Status — sold, unsold, or gift
Reproductions Record — cross-listed with the “Prints” database
And Notes — description of the size and medium of the piece, and if it is sold, the name of the collector who purchased it

i hope this highly detailed list of data will deter anyone from attempting to pass off forgeries or misattribute my works or the works of others. And i take great pride in maintaining this database for my collectors’ peace-of-mind.

* NOTE: i do NOT log the merchandise sold through my shop, like mugs, blankets, printed canvases, etc. i only log my limited edition signed prints, and my original works.

Questions?

If you have questions about my catalogue raisonné or creating your own, don’t hesitate to contact me!